Hauxley Nature Reserve

There's a nature reserve about 25 miles north of Newcastle, just beyond Druridge Bay, but for some reason we've never been to it. Well, this afternoon the weather was good so we headed off there with Son#2 who always enjoys a bit of bird-watching. We also picked up my Dad from my brother's house for a change of scene and took him with us as we'd heard that some of the tracks are wheelchair friendly, which was quite correct. Numbers in the hides are restricted for Covid reasons, but we were able to go into one of them which luckily had a wheelchair space with a lower window so my Dad could join us in watching the wildlife.

Today's blip is a trio of cormorants (at least I think they're cormorants although I'm not very good at distinguishing them from shags, I'm happy to be corrected by anyone who knows better). They were having a good preening session so it was tricky to get a shot with all 3 heads up, and even on this one you can see that two had their beaks crossed. However this was my best shot of the day so here it is.